MP: advice of NATO experts to bring Ukrainian army to complete chaos

The novelties advised to Ukraine by Western partners are fraught with serious negative consequences for the country’s armed forces taking into account the current realities in Ukraine, a member of the Ukrainian Supreme Rada Security and Defense Committee Dmytro Tymchuk has said in an interview to Apostrophe.ua.

According to him, a bill on the national security and defense submitted to the Rada, in particular, the clause on establishing a Joint Operation Headquarters, has caused debates in the committee.

“The task of the headquarters is to manage interbranch and interagency resources and task forces, while the task of the General Staff is in its status of the main military control agency. I know the US command system quite well, it is evident that the principle was suggested by NATO experts who took part in drafting this bill,” Tymchuk explained.

He stressed that in case the bill is passed, there will be the commander-in-chief, he will control the General Staff, that is the main military control agency, while the Joint Operation Headquarters will have the similar status that controls forces and resources in certain operations.

“We do comprehend that in the Ukrainian realities (the principle of one-man managements is enshrined in the charter) it will be not just breaking the mold, a serious misperception can appear in certain military operations. … It can result in complete chaos and, I am afraid, failure of operations in some cases,” the MP is concerned.

He said that he discussed it with representatives of the US embassy and they allegedly agreed that the proposals did not take into account the Ukrainian realities, but the question was still discussed.

“By comprehending what problems may occur, we must find a consensus and discuss the question thoroughly, because if we suddenly stamp these provisions in the draft law, it will be adopted and then come into force, we must bring the whole system of military command in the Ukrainian Armed Forces to a paralysis,” Tymchuk warned.